Cleaning apparatus



Filed Nov. 20, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 10, 1933. A.J. RAUS CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 20, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE NTOR H/vna/v c/. A ex/5 A TTORNEY Jan. 10, 1933. A. J. RAus CLEANINGAPPARATUS Filed Nov. 20, 1931 5 Sheets-$heet 5 ATTORNEY Jan. 1%, 1933.A. J. RAUS GLEANING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 20, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4ATTORNEY flan. 10, 1933. A. J. RAus 1,393,344

CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 20, 19 31 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR H/vm/vEAL/5 BY 9 I A TTORNEY adjustment band; Fig. 8 is a 475 and sides 14 andFatented Jan. 10, 1933 PATENT OFFICE ANTON J. RAU$, F CLEVELAND, OHIOCLEANING APPARATUS Application filed November 20, 1931. Serial No.576,323.

tion taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an- 15 enlarged section ofthe apparatus with the hat retaining frame plate in collapsed position;Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged rear end partly in section with the hatretaining frame plate in open position; Fig. 5 is a sectional viewsimilar to Fig. 4 with the portable fin in position for cleaningarticles other than hats; Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section ofthe rotating basket and gears; Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the rimplate and longitudinal section of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a fragment of theadjustment band in perspective; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of thelocking device by which the rim plate is attached to the frame plate;Fig. 11 is a fragment of the rear end plate of the revolving basket,showing the apertures through which the fins are inserted in the basketstave; Fig. 12 is a greatly enlarged section of the floating guide androller; Fi 13 is a longitudinal section taken on line 13 -13 of Fig.12'; Fig. 14 is a fragmentary section of the topbasket stave and hingedsection; Fig. 15 is a detailed plan view of the top basket stave andhinged sec- 40 tion.

Referring specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 indicates thestationary lower portion of a tank with top cover sections 11 and 12hinged at 13 to the ends of the tank 15 hinged at 16 to the sides of thetank and held closed with latches 17, and a drive shaft 18 mountedthrough the end pieces of the stationary tank 10, and rotating inbearings 19 and 20.

A motor 21 is mounted on the cover section 12, with a shaft 22, uponwhich is mounted a gear 23 which drives a gear 24 mounted on the shaft18 outside of the tank. A gear 25 mounted on the shaft 18, inside of thetank, drives a ring gear 26 bolted to the rear end flanged plate 27 ofthe revolving carrier or basket 28.

The revolving carrier or basket 28 comprises opposite or upper and lowerstaves 29, with undercut grooves 30 for the floating or sliding guides31 and rollers'32; a plurality of staves 33 with a pair of anchor straps34 mounted rearwardly on the staves 33, auxiliary staves 35 and 35amounted at each side of staves 29 and 33 and upon which the hinges 65 36and latches 37 are mounted, to permit each section of the carriercylinder to be opened or closed when filling or removing articles fromthe carrier. Each cylinder section comprises or is covered with a finemesh wire screen 38 turned under the hoop 39 at each inside end of thefront and rear flanged plates 27 a and 27 respectively, and also underthe edge of the auxiliary stave 35a to allow the section to open at thatpoint.

Slidable within the stave 29 is a floating guide 31 with a roller 32rotating within the slot 40 in said guide and journaled on the pin 41mounted through the guide 31. Said roller 32 causes the floating guide31 to slide along the groove 30 in the stave 29 as the roller 32 movesalong the upper groove or track 42 in the stave 29. Attached to theinner extended portion of the floating guide 31 is a hinge 43 attachedto a plate 44 which in turn is mounted on a hat retaining frame plate 45in such manner as to extend out from the frame plate 45; and mountedbetween each frame plate 45 are a set of hinges 46, 47 and 48 attachedat one end to a plate 44 and the other end to a hinge 43 and plate 44,as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. The purpose of this arrangement ofhinges is to allow the hat retaining frame plates 45 to be compressed orcollapsed into approximately one half of the space in the tank 10, thusproviding a space in which to clean garments other than hats.

The hat retaining frameplate 45 has an inner grille or spider 49 whichis joined to the frame plate 45 at a plurality of points, the 100 centerof the grille forminga sleeve 50through which a horizontal shaft 51 isslidably mounted. Attached to the grille 49 between the outercircumference of the frame plate 45 and the inner ring 49a of the grilleis a circular ring 52 locked to the grille 49 at each cross bar by ahinged latch 53 as shown in Fig. 10, said latch being attached to thegrille 49 by any suitable means. Connecting bars 54 are attached atregular intervals to the outer circumference of the frame plate 45 andthe inner ring 490 of the grille and proportionate distances from thecross bars of the grille 49. Mounted at the intersection of the crossbars of the grille 49 and the circular ring 52,

and of the inner ring 4% and the connectingbars 54, are the hat holderscomprising a rim plate 55 and adjusting band 56 and the rim plate 55 hasa, cross member 57 to which the 2!! cross. member 58 of the adjustingband 56 is attached. by bolts 59, and these may be fastened at thelocking points of the above mentioned cross. bars and connecting bars bymeans of center bolts 59a permanently Zfimounted through the grille 49,connecting bar 54 and the inner ring 49a, under the hinge lock 53.

After a hat isv inserted over the adjusting band 56 said band isadjusted to the correct head size by pivoting the finger plate 61 upfrom contact with the corrugations 62 in the adjusting band, drawing theknobs 63 and 64 together or apart as is. necessary and again moving thefinger plate 61 into the corruga- Nftions 62 by pivoting at 65. A guard66 is attached to the smooth end of the adjusting band 56 by suitablemeans, such as bolting, the corrugated end of the adjusting band beingfree to move through the guard 66.

1! A block 67, preferably of a light weight metal, is attached. to theadjusting band 56 by a. plurality of straps 68 bolted at intervalsthrough the apertures 69 in the adjusting'band.

49, A rim spring guard. 7 0 holds the hat 60 in position over the blockby pressing the rim of the hat against the rim plate 55.

When cleaning other articles than hats-theshaft 51 is drawn out throughthe hub 71, 0: said hub rotating in the rearing 72 bolted to the tank10, and thus causes the hinges 46, 47 and 48 to collapse, drawing theframe plates forward. A screen 73 is bolted to the stop plate 74 mountedon shaft 51 and $5 hinged to the hat frame plate 45 in the same manneras the other frame plates are joined. After the frame plates 45 aredrawn together, forming an open space at one end of the tank 10, thepivoting covers 75 attached to the flanged end plate 2,7 are unbolted at76 and pivoted upward at 77, uncovering apertures 78 in said plate 27through which the blades orfins 79 are thrust into the grooves 80 inthestaves 33 until one end enters the anchor 6.5. straps 34 and theseserve as projections against which the objects to be cleaned are thrownby the revolving basket 28. Flanged plate 27 has an attached hub 81which revolves in bearings 82 bolted to the tank 10.

In operation, the tank 10 is filled below the bearings 71 and 81 with acleaning fluid, the cylinder sections raised at each side, hats or otherarticles to be cleaned are placed on their respective holders, thesections are then closed, the motor is started, and the gears in turnrevolve the carrier or hats through the liquid.

In use the hinge latch 53 closes its flaps 82 and 83 inward, eachflapbeing pressed ov er a pin 84 which projects through the apertures 85 insaid flaps. A discharge pipe 86 and shut-off 87 allows the used fluidtobe removed after the cleaning process is finished.

Vhen used to clean articles other than hats, the carrier is collapsed asshown in Fig. 3 and the articles are placed in the end space thus formedin the carrier which is then rotated in the liquid, the blades or fins79 acting to agitate the articles as they are tumbled in the cleaningfluid.

\Vhile I have shown this invention as embodied in a particular form, yetI do not wish to be limited to this exact form, as it is evident thatmodifications can be made in the shape and proportions of the device andin the details of construction without departing from the spirit of thisinvention or the scope of its claims.

I claim 1. In a cleaningapparatus, in combination, a tank for liquid,and a rotary carrier in said tank, and a series of axially spacedannular frames extending across said carrier and around the axisthereof, each frame being provided with a plurality of article holderson the side thereof.

2. The combination stated in claim 1, each prticle holder including aring to fit within a wt.

3. The combination stated in claim 1, each article holder includin aform to fit within a hat, and an outer ring tting around the brim of thehat.

4. In a cleaning apparatus, in combination, a tank for liquid, and arotary article carrier in said tank, said carrier having therein aplurality of axially shiftable frames hav ing article holding meansthereon to provide space in one end of the carrier for other articleswhen desired.

5. The combination statedin claim 4, said carrier including a shaft, andthe frames being slidable along said shaft to collapsed position.

, 6. In a cleaning apparatus, in combination, a tank for liquid, arotary perforated container mounted on a shaft therein, said containerhaving guideways extending lengthwise thereof, and a series of axiallyshiftable frames having, article holding means thereon and slidablelengthwise on the shaft and having peripheral guides in said guideways,whereby said frames may be collapsed into one end of the container.

7 The combination stated in claim 6, and flexible connections betweenthe respective frames, foldable to permit collapse of the frames.

8. In a cleaning apparatus, in combination, a tank for liquid, a rotaryhorizontal perfo rated cylinder in the tank, and a series of spacedarticle holding frames in the cylinder, each frame including a verticalspider extending across the cylinder, and a plurality of article holdersmounted on the side of each spider.

9. The combination stated in claim 8, the cylinder having elongatedstaves supporting the arcuate wall thereof, and the spiders havingperipheral engagement with said staves.

10. The combination stated in claim 4, and means extending outside thetank to collapse or expand said frames in the carrier.

In testimony whereof, I do aflix my signature.

ANTON J. RAUS.

